Château Tourteau Milon Paulliac 1916
€395.00*
1 Available immediately
Filling level mid shoulder, label damaged and capsule good.
Product information
The 1916 vintage in Bordeaux coincided with an extremely difficult historical period - in the middle of the First World War (1914-1918). Here is a summary of the information available:
Core factors of the 1916 vintage:
War-related challenges:
Conscription: many winegrowers and workers were drafted, which led to significant labour shortages.
Scarcity of resources: Horses, fertiliser and equipment were needed for the war.
Logistics problems: Transport was disrupted, barrels and bottles were difficult to obtain.
Climate:
A humid summer favoured fungal diseases (mildew, rot).
Harvesting was carried out under unfavourable conditions, often by inexperienced harvest workers (women, children, the elderly).
Quality of the wines:
Average to weak: the combination of rain, disease and lack of care resulted in thin, acidic wines with low concentration.
Low storability: Most of the wines ripened early and were quickly past their prime.
Quantity:
The harvest quantity was significantly reduced - many grapes were not harvested at all or rotted.
Historical context:
1915 was already a disastrous vintage (frost, rain), 1916 continued this negative series.
The situation only slowly stabilised from 1918/1919 onwards.
Rarity today: Virtually no bottles survive; if they do, they are only relevant as museum artefacts.
Reports from contemporary sources:
Wine merchant Alexis Lichine described the 1915-1917 vintages as"complete failures".
In "Vintage Wine" (2002),Michael Broadbent mentioned isolated tastings in the 1950s in which the wines were already "faded, sour or oxidised".
Conclusion:
1916 was a "lost vintage"(année perdue) for Bordeaux. The wines suffered from the war, the weather and human suffering - they represent an exceptional historical situation rather than terroir-related characteristics. This vintage has no practical relevance for collectors or tastings, but is of great historical interest as a contemporary document.
Sources:
"The Wines of Bordeaux" (Clive Coates, 2004)
"Vintage Wine" (Michael Broadbent, 2002)
Records of the Bordeaux Wine Archives (CIVB)
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Alcohol: | 14 |
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Colour: | red |
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Country: | France |
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Filling quantity: | 750 ml |
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Flavour: | dry |
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Grape variety: | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot |
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Producer: | Château Tourteau Milon |
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Product type: | Wine |
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Region: | Bordeaux |
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Type of wine: | Red wine |
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Vintage: | 1916 |
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Allergens: Sulphites
Bottler: Producer